Ben Linfoot continues his obsession with top 7lb claimer Clifford Lee who rides his tip of the day at Hamilton this afternoon.

If you wanted something a bit more original you'll have to excuse me Monday morning lethargy, but there isn't a horse I want to back more today than the favourite in the very first race at Hamilton.

MUTAHAADY was niggled and niggled throughout on his stable debut for Karl Burke at Carlisle last time, but the Elzaam gelding was well on top at the line and looks a good bet at around 5/2 to defy a 5lb rise in the weights this afternoon.

That was also his first run in a nursery following three runs in maidens for his former handler Richard Hannon, and a mark of 69 proved on the lenient side as he ran out a ready winner.

It was also over pretty similar conditions to today's at Hamilton, being over six furlongs on good to soft ground, and Burke is negating his rise in the weights and some by sticking his 7lb claimer Clifford Lee on top.

Lee's strike-rate has been getting better and better with experience and he's really flying now, as shown by a 20 per cent win strike-rate for the last three months (14 wins from 70 rides).

That's a pretty healthy statistic over a good period of time and it doesn't take a genius to work out he's good value for his claim, something we saw on the big stage that is a Saturday afternoon recently when he won aboard Intense Tango thanks to a canny bit of riding from the front.

Lee put up 3lb overweight that day, effectively cutting his claim to 4lb, but he'll have no problem doing the 8st 13lb this afternoon, getting his full 7lb allowance, and that will make Mutahaady very tough to beat.